Means for starting internal-combustion motors or engines.



P. J. T. BARNES. 'MEANS PoR STARTING INTERNAL coMBUsTIoN MOTORS 0R ENGINES.A APPLIOATIONTILED .T AN. 10`I 1914.

1,1 14,334. Patented oct. 2o, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. P. J. T. BARNES.

MEANS FORSTARTING INTERNAL ooMBU'sTIoN MOTORS 0B ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1914.

1,114,334. Patented 0t.20,1914

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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l lever,` so doing away with a separate air- FREDERICK JOHN 'rnEvAnLoN BARNES, or BRISBANE, QU'EENsLaND, AUs'rRAL'IiL MEANS FOR STARTING INTERNAL-COMBUSTION MOTORS OR ENGINS.

A Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

Application led January 10, 1914.- Seral No. 811,412.

To all whom it may concern: f

Be it known that I, FREDERICK JOHN TiznvALLoN BARNES, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Starting Internal-Combustion Motors or Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact descriptien of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it apper-y taiiis to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to improved means for startingy such types of motors asrequire to'be rotated until they start to develop their own power; and while not confined to such it is especially applicable to motor-driven vehicles enabling the driver to start the motor without any appreciable effort, and without leaving the driving seat. The description applies particularly to motor cars merely to illustrateF-the deviceis equally applicable to marine Vor other motors. I am aware that numerous devices exist for attaining this end, such as :-`mechanical contrivances for cranking up operated by a lever from the drivers seat. Compressed air from a receiver admitted to one or more cylinders of the motor, the air being supplied by. a small pump operated by the motor directly or Aindirectly or geared to the fly wheel. Compressed air has also beenv used in an independent starter attached` by an automatic clutchy to the motor shaft; in this case an air pump onv the starter supplies the air to theyreceiver. Several electrical methods have been tried and more of. `these are in use than any other form of starter.. These and 'iother devices on the market have Vmany and varied objections and disadvantages which are sowell known" Vthat they need not be reiterated'here.

Now I have devised a simple and effective machine that fills the dual part of starter' and air compressor in so far that it can instantly be converted from lstarter to com-I presser or vice versa by the movement of a pump and other complicated gear.

My combined machine consists of a small and compact, three cylinder engine having the cylinders placed preferably at an vangle of 1Q() deg. and operating on one crank. leach cylinder is provided with two valves; which operate automatically when. the linachine is working as an air compressor.

- to operate When working as a motor these valves are actuated mechanically by a device brought into operation by the driver.

The machine is placed preferably in front of the radiator and supported from the main frame of the motor car chassis and is connected by means of a clutch which can be engaged at will witha disk on the starting handle shalt. The air receiver may be placed in any suitable position'on 'the car, while, the valves and chit .h may be arranged by hand or foot as mayfbemost convenient.

In orderhowever that my invention may be thoroughly understood I will now del scribe it, reference being made to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 1s my starter and air compressor shown in cross section through the cylinder.

Fig. 2 shows it in longitudinal section with one set of valves and valve lever. '-Fig, 3 shows a cross section of a detail. Fig. 4 shows end elevation of disk on motor shaft 'with clutch on starter. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section showing details of clutch. Fig. 6 is a general arrangement.

Aare the three cylinders set at 120 deg. to insure there being no dead center each provided with a trunk piston B havinglthe connecting rod C secured to it bythe usual wrist pin D while the crank pin end of'one connecting rod has a bush E the length of the pin Fl which is turned on the outside for the other two connecting rod ends E E2 to work lon so that -a reduction of friction'is obtained 4by this means.` This `arrangement necessitates passing the crank pin F through the 4one 5bush E and the latter 'through the twoconnectingrod ends E E2 and to do this -I tone endgof the crank pin into vits cheek. and secure it with a keyl and pin on the back.

Each cylinderA has its own valve chestv G and valves H, H (see Fig. 2) and when desired the two valves H, H are mechanically driven bythe cams J,'J on the main shaft` K.

When thesleeve-L, operated by the driver, i

is movedaround 0n ythe shaft K as shown in Fig." 2' the mushroom-headed strikers. M are brought into contact with the spring controlled tap s N yin line with the valve spindles P. f'may. khowever attain the same end lby arranging'the sleeve L with strikers. M, to move endwise on the shaft K. The position of the tappets N and strikers M is such that no matter what position theA compressed air into the receiver.

engine is one of the inlet valves il, is

`opened when the sleeve Withstriker is brought into position and so starts the engine by admitting compressed air at the right part oi' the stroke in one of the three cylinders A. rlhe sleeve L which is articulated in such manner that it can he operated by toot or hand lever, is inclosed in suitable housing Q attached by bolts to the engine crank case. The 'ports E on the valve T communicate with the open air, While i ie port S by the valve W connects With .e pipe T leading to ne air receiver T', and the port U-leads to e cylinder il.

The clutch, fl and 5, connecting the starter With the motor is o@ the ordinary -veil known type and it is only necessary to that the portion V is to the startingliandle shaft V and .ie cone "W is operated from a: suitable lever by the drivers hand or foot.,

l -will now describe the Working of my vention it being understood to be connected up with an air receiver 'full or compressed air, the stop valve on the receiver being opened and the car motor being ready to start.

'The driver would put in gear the clutch connecting the starter with the motor and move the sleeve around (from the position shown in F ig. 3) until one of the valves H yis opened (see Fig. 2) allowing the compressed air to rush in and start the motor,

each inlet and exhaust valve H H being movedv in turn as the cams J d with the shaft K, revolve. rlhe starter moves at a great speed and quickly starts the motor. The driver then releases the sleeve lever which is at once drawn to a neutral position preferably byy a spring. The machine then ceases to act as a starter, and immediately becomes a compressory rapidly restoring to the receiver the air consumed in starting. lt will be noted that acting as a compresser the machine has the same cylinder capacity as when in action as a starter. If by any chance the driver omits to throw out the connecting clutch' the compressor vcontinues to draw in `air through the ports4 R and valve H While the valve H letsthe As soon as the pressure in the receiver is restored. the safety valve, provided for the purpose lifts and allows the air to escape so that no damage can be done. ln some cases l may Wish to reduce the travel or vary the lift orf the valves l-l, H so that a reduced quantity of compressed air is admitted. This may be attained by moving the sleeve L andI wipers M to an intermediate position in order that the inclined surface of the head instead of the eXtreme end operates on the tappets N. When this'is done the valves H, H will not open to their fullest extent. Should the driver have to make another in rasee start shortly starter is again instru-l ready and any number starts can be de provided the pressure 'the receiver is restored from time to time as may be necessary and in the manner described.

will of course be understood that size of the starter will be in proportion the size of motor to be started, though one sise could be'used through a large range oi motor sizes by varying the Working pressure, ii necessarycl Thus a machine having" .inch diameter cylinders could be used to start -any ordinary range ci' motor car. It viii also be understood that the power machine will decrease with the air pressure: but it has great adi over starting devices in that it can at ccnvenient time restore the lost pressure quickb with very little demand upon. the motor an either While the latter is inning lires o propelling the car. lil'le operating compressor the starter il 'tend to' stead the running o1? the motor when running Without other load.y @ther starters take some time to restore the lost electricity or air. The usual means would be used tor overcomingV the increased temperature due to compression. i

lvl nvention can readily be made to run either in a clock-Wise or anti-clockwise direction While by a slight modification ot the valve mechanism it can be made to start either Way at will.

lt will be understood that carrying my invention into eiect may be varied from that herein described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings Without adecting the essence of my invention. l may provide springs for insuring the valves H, H returningto their seats.

l claim-` l. ln .an engine convertible for use as a motor and pump, the combination of intake and exhaust valves, means ioractuating said valves, means for disengaging said actuating means from saidvalves, and means carried `by said actuating means for varying the ,variable throw of said valves, substantially as described.,

3. ln a convertible motor and pump, the combination of a plurality of radially disposed engines, a common crank shaft for said engines` intake and exhaust valves for each of said engines, a tappet for each of said valves, a sleeve mounted for independthe details ci ent revolution about said crank shaft, a plurality of pairs of strikers provided with conical heads mounted for reeiprocation radially in said sleeve, a pair of cams mounts ed on said crank shaft `oreontinuously actuy ating said strikers during running of the engines, vand means for rotatingsaid sleeve to move the strikers to disengage said tap'- ets and to vary the position of said inclined eadswith respect to the tappets to vary the throw of said valves, substantially as "described.

4.1m a convertible motor and pump, the

combination of a multi-cylinder engine hav' accompanying drawings.

5. In a convertible motor and pump, the

combination of a multi-cylinder engine havi ing no dead center, and provided with inlet and exhaust valves arranged and controlled so that when the engine 1s to run as an air motor said valves are mechanically operated by cams, a sleeve ca able of movement on the main shafts an carrying strikers for operating the valves, and means for moving the said sleeve and strikers so that when driven by the engine which it has started it becomes an air compressor, the action of the cams being cut off from the said valves by the movement of said sleeve and strikers, said valves being free to open and close by the suction and delivery of the air, into the receiver, as and for the purposes herein `set forth and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

6. In a convertible motor and pump, the combination of a multi-cylinder engine having no dead centen-cams on the main shat of said engine, a sleeve carried on said main shaft and capable of movement thereon, and carrying strikers for operating the valves, tappets, inlet and exhaust valves, passages to the cylinders and means for actuating the said sleeve so as to cause the strikers to move into or out of alinement with the. ta pets and valves in combination with a clutc for coupling upato the motor to be started, as and for the purposes herein set forth, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In testimony whereof, I ailix my signa-- ture, in presence of two witnesses.

i FREDERICK JOHN TREVALLON BARNES.

Witnesses v ALEXANDER ANDERSON, THoMAs WARNoeK. 

